Jacked about Jack-O-Lanterns

Pumpkin Festival a hit in Springfield.

http://eagletimes.villagesoup.com/p/jacked-about-jack-o-lanterns/1429315

Jacked about Jack-O-Lanterns Pumpkin Festival a hit in Springfield By ALLAN STEIN | Oct 17, 2015 Photo by: Allan Stein Anthony Barrows of Ludlow, Vermont puts the final touches on his daughter's jack-o-lantern. Pumpkin Festival The steps overflow with pumpkins during the 4th annual Light the Lawn Pumpkin Festival. (Photo by: Allan Stein) View More... SPRINGFIELD — Anthony Barrows of Ludlow, Vermont jabbed a knife into a big orange pumpkin perched on a picnic table and started carving where his daughter left off. First came a pair of eyes. Then, a jagged mouth. The scowling face of the jack-o-lantern slowly took form. "I'm just kind of cutting it out for my daughter. She put the eyes. Now I'm just helping her," said Barrows. At other tables set up on the front lawn at the Springfield Family Center at 365 Summer St., parents and children made grinning gourdes for the center's 4th annual Light the Lawn Pumpkin Festival. The festival is billed as a family outing, not a fundraiser, said executive director Michael Wiese. "It's just a nice family Halloween event," said Wiese. "I am really impressed. People are having a good time." The event featured games, crafts, contests, a scavenger hunt, face painting, live music, and pumpkin carving with more than 250 locally grown pumpkins that had been donated to the center. Children also romped in large piles of leaves and had fun checking out each other's Halloween costumes. Around 8 p.m., all the carved pumpkins were lit with candles to create one eery, festive, glowing display. "It's an event that has been going on four years. It's a fun event for families and for us," said Wiese.